Breaking Point
by BatWingteenavenger
Summary: The adventures of the Grayson Beyond family continue, this time with an old enemy from Dick's past hoping to destroy his boys' future!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ok here's another one of my BB NW timeline fics, this time with a little help from paganpunk2's AWESOME 'Spark in the Dark ' series! XD The main antagonist for this particular piece comes from her, as does the circumstances surrounding her history with Dick. Margine Randall was a bitch, but she stuck with me so strongly that I ached to bring her back. Thanks to Paganpunk, I can! So, my advice to all reading this, stop reading this and head over to Paganpunk2's profile and read Firework, NOW! Really please do it's a masterpiece, though it's hard to find a story of hers that ISN'T one...**

**Thanks again Paganpunk for letting me borrow this antagonist. You rule!**

**On with the fic yes?**

She sneered as she watched him, him and his...she shuddered, _offspring, _playing with each other out in the open field of the reserve. She was mildly suprized at how well he had aged, but her main concern was his mate. For the orange-skinned wench by his side Had to be his mate.

_Those poor boys_ she tisked _To be fathered by a gypsy thief, and mothered by an alien whore...just LOOK at how she presents herself! This is ridiculous! I will not stand for this atrocity! YOU may have escaped, Richard...but I plan on rehabilitating those boys, legally or otherwise. After all...we ARE in Bludhaven._

Her eyes narrowed as the redhaired youth tackled his father and wrestled with him, pulling some dirty tricks to get Richard to give ground.

_Especially that one. Yes, he has too much potential to become one of this city's gang leaders for me to let him off._

She glanced then at the one who looked almost identical to his father, and snarled.

_You...you look so much like him. I think rather than take both of you, I will just take you for now. On princible. _

"Lunk, Froyd" She radioed low, "Get ready to follow that ugly looking orange car, and do it sublte-like. I want him to suspect nothing."

"No problem boss." her radio crackled, causing her to smile wickedly.

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As Dick Grayson wrestled with his son in the grass, his 'bat radar' kept going off. Upon stealing a good lookround, he determined he needed to realign his radar. However, the feeling would not leave him that something was wrong. Very wrong.

The hair on the back of his neck kept prickling, as if something...some memory from a lifetime ago, were haunting him.

He was loath to ignore his gut, but right now, with Kory, and Jay and Jimmy...he had very few worries with them around. Surely a villain would recognize Starfire as a former Titan, and would hesitate to strike.

As for the boys, well, he beamed whenever his 'little wings' ever took down baddies as civilians. Once had been a mugging, and Jay had socked the dreg right in the nose without hesitation. As for Jimmy, well Dick was farely sure that anyone who landed a hand on Star while he was present would be swiftly and unbiasedly kicked in painful places without hesitation or remorse from the youngest of the twins. And the two of them together?! The hero grinned as Jimmy tried to get in on the fun and flipped over his father to kick him in the back so Jason could get in a shot from the front. The two of them together were more of a force to be reckoned with than the Titans themselves!

So why did he still have this feeling of dread?

Shrugging it off as nothing but at the same time alert for any sort of surprise attack, Dick continued to play with his sons while his wife smiled from her spot on a bench.

Starfire watched her husband play with their young ones with a smile on her face. Then that smile soured somewhat when she felt a pang of motherly instinct swell up, and her senses went on alert. Part of this feeling, she knew, was being in tune to Dick and his higtened awareness. Years of working alongside him, being led by him, and being in love with him covered the rest of the reason she read him like a book. He was in Nightwing mode, albeit subtly, and that was never good when they were civilians.

She hated to cut off their Saturday Romp, but something told her that it was necessary She loved her boys, all three of them, and hated the idea of seeing them hurt.

"Dick?" she asked. He stopped wrestling long enough to nod without speaking, the two former Titans were able to agree that the park had ceased to be a friendly place. Besides, it was dinnertime.

"Come on twips, let's go eat. Osharu's sound good?" Dick asked, ruffling their hair.

"Really?" Jay asked, eyes wide "Mega schway!"

"Osharu's?!" Jimmy said at the same time "Yay! I'ma beat everyone to the car!" he sprinted off happily, his red haired brother on his heels.

Kory and Dick smiled, and followed their offspring to the disguised Nightbird. Dick hung back a bit. His neck hair prickled again. He shuddered, an icy chill blowing past.

"Starfire." He whispered intensely after the two were strapped in and the door closed, blocking any sound.

She knew that tone. It meant _Be alert! Something is amiss._

"Dick..." she replied, her hand on his shoulder, "Not tonight. Not until you go on patrol. Please?"

"I won't risk it, Star." he replied, knowing she was asking him to not go into 'batmode' at this particular moment in time. "I can't. I thought you felt something—"

"Yes _something, _but it is gone now. Please...for the boys?" she pleaded, her green eyes begging.

"Well, you know I can't resist that look. Deal. But Star-" he shivered "I can't help but feel like I felt this way before. I have to at least keep one ear turned, you know?"

"Very well, but only that one ear." She consented, getting into the passenger side.

He sneaked a kiss before the door closed,

"I love you." He cooed.

"Yuck!" two nine-year old voices squalled in discust.

"Hush little wings!" Their father growled playfully, starting the drive to the favored buffet place, "Lest the cooties spread to you too!"

"Nooooooooooooo!" Came the collective wail, and Dick laughed triumphantly, not noticing the car following them as they sped around the highway.


	2. Chapter 2

The boys were exhausted by the time they were forced into bed that night. It was a weekend, but they were just too tired to join their father for a patrol.

"Night Dad!" Jimmy said, hugging his father, "Don't forget to bring Blackfire in ok? She gets frightened at night."

Dick smiled, "Don't worry, F5. I'll make sure she gets in."

"Hey Dad," Jason asked, curling up in bed in his Flash pajamas "Can you bring home some thug's teeth again? That one time was schway!"

His father chuckled, roughing his hair a bit "That was a one time thing, Jay. I didn't _want_ him to lose teeth that got stuck in my kevlar, it just happened. Now, your grounding has been lifted but that's no excuse to start acting up again. So, deal. You boys get a good night sleep, and maybe we'll start on that Edvardo case tomorrow night."

"Deal!" came the answering croon from both his protégés.

"Good." he smiled, "Goodnight Little Wings. I'll see you at breakfast."

"Night Dad!"

* * *

><p>Starfire smiled as Dick came down the stairs.<p>

"All ready for patrol?" she asked him lightly.

He frowned. "Actualy no. I can't shake this feeling that I have, Kory. Something is telling me not to go out tonight."

"Dick," she said as if to lecture him.

He held up his hand as if to ward it off, a trademark grin tugging at his lips "However I trust that my princess will guard the castle while I, the knight's squire, venture forth to vanquish evil."

Starfire giggled at the chivalrous way Dick spoke, and all but squealed when he bowed at the end. "Oh you! Go and kick the ass, my squire, before I boot you henceforth!"

Dick laughed as he opened the goat door and then headed to the garage to begin his nightly vigil.

"What am I going to do with him?" the Tamaranian princess asked the red, white and black Nigerian Dwarf goat that had come in immediately after the door had been opened.

The little creature 'Me'eh'ed her response before nibbling on Starfire's boots, prompting the former Titan to bend down and scratch her between the stubs they would call horns once they poked through.

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The two hired thugs smiled as they shoved the windowframe upwards on the entrance to the boys' room.

"Look at the raven haired one." Lunk said "He's a real pride ain't he? Got Gypsy in him that one."

"You idiot, they BOTH do!" his partner hissed. "Now grab the raven one and let's go! She said she'd deal with the redhead once Brent and her get done breaking this one."

Lunk nodded and began hoisting the boy and himself out the window.

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Blackfire suddenly was up on her hind legs, ears twitching, and a desperate bleat exploding out her tiny throat as she headbutted the stairs, then ran around and rammed her head against the door furiously, as if trying to literally bust through.

Suprized, Starfire let the goat out, only to find a car peeling away as fast as the T-car away from the house, the hapless creature bleating woefully after it as loudly as she could in her shrill little voice.

Filled with panic, the mother literally flew upstairs and flung the door to the boys' room open.

And wept loudly, dropping to her knees at the sight she always feared but never imagined could ever cross her vision.

* * *

><p>Dick flew thrugh the air, the wind catching his hair. He loved nights like this. Cool, Crisp, free...especially after a long night doing nothing but beating the crap out of people.<p>

_Terry thinks __he's__ got problems! _ The vigilante scoffed _ I'd like to see him tackle eight muggings, five kidnappings, seven shootings, three attempted suicides, and wrestling matches with four very ticked off splicers all in one night. And I'm __still__ not donewith cleanup. Oh well, tomorrow I will have my little wings as backup, so that's a bonus/_

"Dick."

Suprized, Nightwing neary released his line as the voice came through his earpiece.

"Starfire? What is it? You don't usually call when I'm on patrol unless it's an-"

She cut him off "Dick! Come home now. It's Jimmy!"

His heart was in his throat,

"I'm on my way. What's wrong? Did he have another nightmare?"

"He's GONE!"

He increased his speed, his voice becoming deadly serious. Eyes narrowed intensely as wheels turned.

"What? What do you mean _gone?!_"

"Someone took him!" Her voice was close to tears. _Oh Star don't. I hate it when you cry._

He landed on his roof with a thud and swung into his sons' room, where a bravely dry-eyed but frightened Jason was being cuddled by his wife, who was also shaking and from the looks of it had already been in tears. He ripped his mask off, blue eyes blazing in fury, worry, and the old familiar twinkle of a man on a mission. He embraced his love, and hissed three words she was never so glad to hear in his 'Titan' tone.

"Tell me everything."


	3. Chapter 3

It was cold. For a minute he thought that Jason had stolen his covers again. Feeling around blindly, his fingers brushed his blanket, and he pulled it close.

It was quickly yanked away.

"Hey dreg, hands off! This is mine!"

_That...that isn't Jay!_

His eyes shot open, and he gasped and sat up.

_Ok don't panic. First rule, assess the situation and environment. You can do this Flamebird 5!_

Taking in his surroundings, he discovered with horror that he was nowhere near home. Instead, he was in a concrete room, with two beds, surrounded by jail bars. Lying next to him was a tall boy around...he scrunched up his face...fourteen or fifteen. A window with bars alerted him that it was still the middle of the night, and a glimpse of a skyline told him that he was not in Bludhaven anymore.

_Ok, I'm not in my home town. This skyline...it's Gotham! What the Batline am I doing in what looks like a jail cell in GOTHAM?!_

He took a deep breath to try to gather his wits. The boy beside him woke up with a rather nasty smile on his face, and came towards him. Jimmy scrambled to a safer distance away. While a civilian, the younger twin was told that avoiding conflict was a necessity, unless his or his brother's life was in danger. The teenager moved towards him again, then sat down and got comfortable. He didn't want the older boy to feel the need to start any violence, so he scooted away again, respectfully keeping his distance.

There was another thing that bothered the young Grayson, and that was the absence of his twin. Usually, if bad guys wanted hostages, they would take him AND his brother. Usually the two would team up wordlessly and take whoever was idiotic enough to kidnap them in the first place down within a few hours or so. Jason was usually the ringleader for that, and Jimmy willingly and gladly followed his brother's usually brilliant plan.

_But Jason isn't here._ The boy thought, a tiny bit of panic entering his head. _So I'm going to have to escape on my own._

With this in mind, the raven-haired child sniffed, but didn't fully allow himself tears. He knew that crying wouldn't help his situation. But still...he was a little bit scared without Jay around to complete their duo, and he hoped that whoever had kidnapped him didn't plan on keeping him too long.

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"Look at him boys. Just look at him. Scared and alone. He should be easy to break." Margine smiled "He looks just like his father, poor whelp. Look at him being all sweet and resilient. Well I don't have time for that. Lunk! Wake up Brent. I want him to start right away. The sooner we rehabilitate this one, the sooner the other one ceases to be a potential gang leader."

"Yes Ma'am."

The former CPS worker sneered as the young version of Richard looked around his cell with a wide open stare, as if he was looking for anywhere to run and hide. She pondered then at his intelegence, and smirked when the elder boy made him retreat under the bed. She almost felt sorry that age had taken its toll with her, forcing her to watch from the sidelines instead of administering some of the treatment herself. _If it were me smacking him around,_ she pondered with a snort _he would already be in tears and begging to not be a potential thief._

Her lips curled back as she remembered the horrid scene she had witnessed earlier. Richard was enough to set her off. _The one that got away_ she reflected bitterly, but to see who the mother was...it nearly threw her into a fit of rage.

An extraterrestrial.

_Really Richard?! Even if you had another Gypsy wench, I would have taken him. But an __Alien__?! Disgusting._

She smirked

_All the more reason to rehabilitate his offspring I suppose._

She turned her attention back to the monitor screen, and hissed in exasperation. The boy was still hiding under the bed, and no matter how the furniture was moved, he stayed obscured and out of reach of his pursuer.

_Clever boy. Annoying, yet clever. But cheeky as well. We will fix that. Yes we will fix that real fast._

"Brent." She said though a mic that connected to the room the boy was held prisoner in. The older one looked up at the camera, signaling he heard her.

"Begin phase one."

His smile pleased her, and she continued to watch, a sneer of contempt on her face as the raven-haired urchin was forcibly removed from his hiding place and thrown into the wall.

_Phase one begins. Excelent._


	4. Chapter 4

Jason Todd Grayson paced his bedroom, looking for any clues to his brother's disappearance. His stomach ached and it was worse than hunger pains.

_Jimmy...where did they take you?_

He felt a slight pang, and stopped, rubbing his back suddenly, and his shoulder too. Snarling, he searched harder before finally finding a paper that didn't belong there under his brother's covers. _A ransom note?_ He hoped, opening it. A squeak escaped his lips as he tore down the stairs and out the door, where his father and mother were looking for clues.

He gave the paper to his father, wincing as his back seemed to scream in agony, and then his head hurt too. He wimpered, and said as he handed the paper over

"They're hurting him."

"We don't know that, Jay." His mother soothed him, rubbing his back encouragingly.

_You're wrong!_ He wanted to scream _I __feel__ it!_

Dick instantly dropped to his son's side

"Like hell we don't. These two have had the psychic twin connection from the day they were born. If Jay says Jimmy's in pain, he must have some reason to think that, and the connection is the only thing that makes sense." He handed the note to his wife, then put a hand on Jason's shoulder

"I won't deny you this, Jason. Get your kevs on. We are going to find your brother."

"But...we don't even know where to look!" the child protested. "He could be anywhere by now!"

"Not anywhere." Dick smiled as he held up the paper again. The letters GC prominent on the bottom right corner brought a sneer to Jason's lips

"Gotham."

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Bluejay and Nightwing flew through the city, each knowing that the longer they took, the worse it would be for both boys. They were on the east end of Gotham, looking for any kind of clues near where the paper's company watermark said, but nothing turned up. In three seconds after their search, Nightwing was assaulted by something worse than a few thugs.

"Nightwing."

He growled audibly

"How did you get this frequency, Bruce?"

Jason snorted and said under his breath "Grandpa IS Batman. Duh."

Ignoring his son for the moment, Dick perched on a gargoyle and waited for the man to answer.

"Never mind. What are you doing in my city again? Did Terry invite you for a patrol?"

_He's hiding something. That isn't like him._

"My kid is missing Bruce. I don't have time for-"

"Did Terry invite you to patrol?"

_He's got something._

"Where is he?" Dick asked, years of comradery paying off in this riddle game.

There was a pause at the end of the other line for a bit

"His brother is missing. He's searching a lead." There was a pause, as if the man was hesitant to bring up a fact. "A CPS lead."

"Matt's gone?" A feeling of dread entered Dick's heart. Then, a feeling of upmost terror started creeping up on him. An old feeling of terror to boot. _No...it can't be. CPS..._

"Bruce, whatever happened to my old social worker?"

"Nightwing..."

"Please. I need this Bruce what happened to her?!"

There was a sigh,

"She was released a decade ago. I didn't keep tabs on her because there wasn't any point. You're grown now. Even if she came for you, what were the odds?"

Nightwing growled loudly

"Obviously she still harbors a grudge! Bruce you realize that Jimmy is missing?! Top that with the way Matt looks? Heck Terry says I could be that kid's father! "

"I did didn't I." A third voice piped up over the radio. "Almost wish you were, the twip.."

"Quiet!" Bruce growled "Coincidence Dick."

"Like hell!" Nightwing snarled "I remember all too well her MO Bruce. This is no coincidence, and you know it."

"Can I say something?" Terry interjected

"No." Both Bruce and Nightwing sneered.

"I'm going to anyway." Batman said with a snarl "Whoever this chick is, I could care less. I'm getting my brother back even if you shut down the suit, Bruce."

"Terry—" Bruce warned

"No! If Nightwing is scared, and he IS scared, for his kid, who may I remind you is in Kevlar already at his age, then what chance does Matt have, especially with no training, and no idea why this is happening to him?!"

"Um." A small voice interrupted "Um Grandpa Bruce?"

The radio voice was silent for a minute, then Bruce's less scowling voice asked softly "Yes Jason?"

"We need Terry, and Matt needs him too, so...could we just...concentrate on finding Jimmy and Matt? We can sit down and argue later if you want...but I think we need Batman's help and we need time too, see?"

Bruce heard so much of Dick in the boy that it brought a half-smile to his face, and a lighter tone in his voice as he pretended to sigh in defeat.

"Ok then. Terry, you heard him. Get going."

"On my way boss." Came the too-happy and smug reply.

Dick smiled at his son and sat down, hugging him close as they waited for their backup.

"How you doing kiddo?" he asked softly

"I hurt, Daddy. We need to hurry."

"We will, little wing." Dick promised, fear bubbling up in him for the boy he had raised "We will. I promise. And when we do, you get to kick the most butt."

"Promise?"

"Promise."


	5. Chapter 5

"Come on down, dreg!" The mean boy sneered, beating his fists together "I'm not done playing with you yet!"

From his perch on the topmost part of the piping for the air conditioner, Jimmy shook his head and stayed put. So long as he was out of reach, the pain in his shoulder and back could heal before he got down.

"What's the matter, you scared? You want your Mommy?" Brent chuckled "Well you can't get her. Not until I'm done with you." He threw a metal bar that smacked the nine-year old on the head and knocked him from his perch.

_Uh oh!_ Jimmy gulped, _Lost ground! Gotta get higher!_

The older boy was not going to give him a chance to get up out of reach again, and grabbed him, twisted his arm painfully behind his back, then threw him on the ground and hit him hard with the bar, causing the child to yelp in pain. Jimmy curled up and lashed out, kicking the older boy in the shin. Distraction complete, he dove under the bed again ans scooted up against the wall, curling his legs so they would be temporarily out of reach.

Only then would he allow himself a moment to sniffle. What Brent was doing to him wasn't fair, nor was it warranted. He had done nothing, yet this brute had decided to beat up on him for no reason!

_You are so lucky I am not in my kevs, you dreg!_ He sneered _I'd be kicking your ass all over this room!_

His Rom was screaming again, as it often did in high-adrenalin situations, and he ached to answer the call. But there was not enough room to fully utilize that side of himself. However, he thought with a grin and a sparkle of mischief in his bright blue eyes, there was plenty of room to do a few cartwheels and flips. Perhaps just to tire Brent out so he would sleep again.

He was about to roll out and begin his routine, when a hissing noise interrupted his timing, and the evil lady's voice squawked over the intercom,

"Begin Phase two!"

Jimmy was grabbed by his foot, dragged out, and beaten savagely by Brent and his metal bar. He kicked free and crawled away, only for the same thing to be repeated again.

"Oh no dreg, you're my little beating bag! You go nowhere unless I want you to go!" Brent snickered, pulling the boy close then beating him again.

Now he was starting to get a bit scared. He was confused and angry too, but as the bar came at him again and again, he began to wonder if the older boy and the evil lady were actually trying to kill him.

_NO!_ his mind screamed, as he shoved that fear down where it belonged _I refuse to die like this! I'm Flamebird Five, slag it! Son of Nightwing! I'll fight!_

He took offensive, kicking the bully's shin again, lashing out and striking the back of his knee and then kicked him where it really hurt. As Brent doubled over in pain, cussing him out all the way down, Jimmy scrambled back up to the pipes and perched, thinking of his next move.

_I really wish Jay was here!_

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Randall snarled as she watched the boy be defiant and lash out against the correction Brent gave him.

_He's strong-willed. A dangerous boy indeed. His brother must have rubbed off on him. Not to mention his father..._

She smiled suddenly as she caught something in the boy's eyes. _Ah so you __do__ feel fear. Excellent. It took you long enough to express it. This is good. This is very good._

But just as it appeared and began snuffing the flames of hope, they turned into an inferno and choked it out. She banged her hand on her desk.

"Damn it!"

As she watched the small form being savagely beaten, her mouth turned upward in a sneering smirk. It was refreshing to her mind to see him in pain, and although he did not shed one tear, the brat squeaked beautifully. _He will remember this pain when he goes to steal something._ She determined. She then growled slightly as the beatings grew a tiny bit too long, with little results. _Careful you moron I don't want him dead. Far too many have died already thanks to incompetence. _

_This one I'd rather see broken in a metaphorical sense if you don't mind._

As the brat sought refuge on the pipes again, Randall saw for a second time the flicker of fear in the wild blue orbs. She waited an hour and then radioed in again. It was time to resort to her other tactics. If she was to break this boy, all the stops would have to be pulled out.

"The subject is progressing nicely. We will begin phase three in the morning."

"But I'm not done playing with my toy!" Came the answering protest.

She snickered, lacing her fingers together

"Oh don't you worry. Phase six will have plenty of correction. By that stage he should be mellow and agreeable. Now get some sleep. Leave him for the moment."

"But-"

"That's an order!"

There was a clang as the metal hit the floor, and Brent sighed heavily and went to bed.

The child, Randall chuckled, refused to come down from his perch, instead opting to cower in the shadows. _Perhaps we are progressing faster than I thought._

She smiled, once again pleased.

"Looks like you are going to be the success story your father never got to be, gypsy spawn."


	6. Chapter 6

"So um, you went through CPS before?" Batman inquired as he followed Nightwing and Bluejay as the duo swung through the city he protected.

"Try forced into it. After my parents died I was taken by an evil bitch to juvie because she claimed there was no room for me anywhere else. I was EIGHT!"

Terry cringed. He knew juvie. He knew it well and it was no place for teenagers let alone a freaking eight year old.. "You must have been in hell. I know juvie. It isn't a party even at my age."

"That's one way of putting it." Came the answering growl.

"So this social worker was not your favorite person I take it." Terry said, trying to change subjects.

Nightwing snorted. "She hated me. The feeling was mutual." A shudder rippled through his body, and he said softly "Almost. Her name, and CPS...always left the bitter taste of fear in my mouth. I was terrified. I'll admit that much. So, what's your lead anyway, speaking of CPS."

Terry grimaced. Nightwing's voice had a plea in it. _Not around the twip _it seemed to say, and he agreed. Bluejay, being young and fresh in the hero business, was still under the impression that his father was invulnerable to fear, and Batman saw no reason to encourage any doubts. Nightwing admitting he had been afraid when he was younger was one thing, but his son didn't need to know the details nor that the hero had lingering emotions from years ago still haunting him.

"I got a note." He opened, "It was a piece of an old court order dated back to the days when the old man was in his prime. I didn't think much of it until I read the entire casefile. These people were sick. Worse than sick. Trying to scare kids into behaving by torturing them. There were no names, because someone had sharpied all over them, but there was a sentence that confirmed that it was connected to CPS, and the piece that I got listed the victims as matching Matt's description."

Nightwing snarled and nodded "Bluejay found a similar piece of paper in Jimmy's bed. The words on it were mostly washed out, except for the bottom, where it listed Gotham as the location of the trial. There was no date."

After a pause in which the three vigilantes stopped a mugging by Jokerz, they resumed their hunt. Batman looked at his partner warily, and asked a question that had been bugging him.

"I hate to ask you this, but how do you know your witch is the one responsible for all this? No offense, but a feeling isn't much evidence."

The vigilante paused, then swung to a gargoyled building and perched on one of the grotesque figures. Bluejay perched next to him and began scanning with his Winglenses, black and blue binocs with a strip of white in the shape of an outstretched wing-his own symbol. His father pulled out his own pair and scanned as well.

"I didn't at first. A prickling in my neck alerted me to something when Jay handed me the note, and the judge was the same from her trial. I thought it was a coincidence until _he_ mentioned CPS. 'Two coincidences in a row?' I thought, 'impossible!' Maybe I jumped the gun a little too fast back there without any more to go on, but it was justified. My hunch was even more confirmed when you told me about your letter. Now there is no doubt in my mind about who took both your brother and my son."

He stood, aiming his grapple at a higher building

"And she will pay dearly for crossing the line and involving my family." He looked at Batman and growled

"ALL of my family."

Terry smiled at this, vowing his own justice silently. Nightwing had become a household name to Matt over time. The reason being that Dick had taken up visiting Gotham every so often to see Terry both as a civilian and as Batman ever since the Flash incident that Terry had helped diffuse. Soon, the blue-eyed former Robin became part of the family at the Mcginnis house, and Terry was pleased to say the least. The twip enjoyed both sides of Grayson, and when the twins came along, the three would cause such trouble that Terry could sneak in and out at his leisure without his increasingly intelligent brother suspecting a thing.

"Yeah." He said. "I'm with you on this, Nightwing."

"Then let's go, Batman. " Dick said with a wry expression. Terry grinned widely

"Miss it?" he asked knowing the former boy wonder would know what he was alluding to.

"All the time. Every time we team up." Nightwing said nostalgically, firing his grapple and swinging off, Batman and Bluejay on his tail.


	7. Chapter 7

The smell of fresh-cooked eggs and bacon wafted up his nostrils, making his stomach growl. He opened his eyes and stretched, reminded of his surroundings almost immediately. The apetising smell was coming from a plate of food that sat on the outside of his cell. Scrambling down, the boy reached out to get a taste.

The food was too far away. He could see it, he could smell it, but he was denied the ability to eat it.

His stomach complained mightily.

"Hey! Hey other kid! Yeah I'm talking to you. Over here!"

Jimmy looked around, until he spotted someone familiar in the other cell across from him. He smashed himself against the bars and into the light, making the other boy gasp.

"Jimmy? Jimmy Grayson?"

He squinted, then smiled

"Matt! Double M! You're in this aweful place too?! Why didn't I notice you over there before?"

"Because I wasn't over here. I was downstairs in a cage!"

"In a cage? Schwarbage!"

"Not schwarbage it's true! They kept me there all night. I wasn't scared though." Matt said, "I knew they couldn't keep me forever."

"Listen, we have to get out of here." Jimmy said, "I don't like this place, and I think they want to kill me. They hurt me pretty bad yesterday."

Suddenly the door swung open, and some men walked in. Matt scrambled to the far side of his cell, and Jimmy scuttled up to the pipes again. One of the men laughed at the seemingly terrified boys, while the other placed the breakfast plate in Matt's cell. They left after putting water in Jimmy's prison.

Matt was never one to turn down a meal, and happily scarfed on the food while Jimmy's mouth watered, the smell and look of the hot meal stoking his already whet appetite. The devious McGinnis flung a piece of bacon at the other cell, and Jimmy dove for it only to have it fall just short of his cell.

"Slag it!" he snarled, trying to get the piece of meat. "I can't reach." He slumped. He had not had anything since the buffet the night before, and he was very very hungry.

Matt continued eating, apologetically looking at his friend and saying "Sorry man, I'll try at lunch, k?"

Jimmy nodded, hugging his knees to keep from sniffling. This was aweful! _I am so hungry I could eat my blanket ad the bed attached to it! Why is this happening to me anyway? No...no time to be a baby! I have to stay strong. Dad'll find me! He'll find me and Matt, then we'll go out for dinner again and I'll eat twice as much as I did before!_

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Randall smiled as the hours ticked by and the look of hunger and helplessness grew in the boy. The other one was merely there to act as a catalyst, to keep the lure of a meal alive and well. Of course tomorrow neither would get any food. The next day only the McGinnis brat would eat. This would go on for a few days, then the next phase would start.

No matter what, the boy would not be fed. This was a necessary part of the treatment and from what she saw, it would prove more effective than phases one and two. She was sure that the other boy would give Grayson's brat some food, enough so he would survive, but not nearly enough to ruin the process.

Kneading her hands together, Margine smirked as the rat tried again to get the bacon off the floor. _Poor urchin._ She cooed pitilessly, _no one to feed you now. You will get weaker and weaker until you become as docile as a kitten. Wich is what I want. When they are docile, they break more easily._

She turned her attention to the much older boy who sat beside her and cracked his knuckles.

"You like the Gypsy urchin don't you, Brent?"

His hungry glance told her everything and she giggled "Is he your favorite so far?"

"Yeah. He's a nice toy. I'll look forward to Thursday. That IS when you are giving him back to me isn't it?"

She nodded "Yes, and he won't be so full of fight. You can smack him around and he will cry. He will cry and beg and scream. Just remember that I want him alive. We _will_ return him to his family, but not before grabbing his brother. I expect that he will be a fine citizen of Bludhaven. Perhaps he will lead the city into a new age. But he will definitely be a model citizen at the very least."

"And his brother?"

Randall kneeded her brow in thought

"If he does not follow suit, then we will have to save the city the trouble of getting rid of him. He seems a more dangerous case. If we cannot cure him, then you can do what you will with him. Just make it clean."

"My pleasure." The boy said with a shark's grin.


	8. Chapter 8

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"Come on Dad I don't wanna go to bed! Jimmy's out there and I'm going to help find him!" Jason was adamant, but Nightwing shook his head.

"No, twip. You have to get your rest, just like I need mine. Now crawl into bed. I'll be right here if you need anything."

"Promise you won't start the search without me?"

Dick grinned as he tucked his exhausted yet determined son into his sheets, then switched into his civvies and crawled into the cot on the floor.

"See? I'm not going anywhere. Now sleep, Jay. We will find Jimmy. Don't worry. We _will _find him."

The boy waited until his father was fast asleep before uncovering himself and slipping into his kevs. He took one last look at the form on the cot, and unlatched the window that looked over Gotham City.

_Sorry, Dad. I have to find Jimmy. I hope you understand._ He thought before shooting off his grapple and swinging into the night.

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"Well that didn't take long"

As soon as the invisible figure saw the little vigilante shoot off, he began to tail the child from a safe distance. His radio crackled to life as an exhausted voice asked sleepily

"He took off faster than I predicted. You got him?"

"Roger that, Nightwing. Now tell me why you let him escape again. I'm a bit lost here."

"You know the plan, Batman. My twips are way closer than even the wonder twins. If Jimmy is anywhere in this city, Jason _will _find him. Once he does, you move in. If it happens that I'm awake enough to join you, then good."

Terry smirked under the mask "You want me to wait until you get your beauty sleep to move in I take it."

Nightwing grunted, "Unless lives are at stake, yes."

Terry snorted, then looked around for Bluejay. "What are the odds that he won't wait for backup?"

Dick shuddered "Those are high odds. Jay is hotheaded, and if he feels like any harm has or will come to his brother...he'll attack anyone he feels is responsible for it. With or without backup."

"Not good. these people don't seem the take-it-easy types."

"They aren't. If Jay doesn't go in with a clear head...they will kill him. Worse, they'll use him for their little experiment. That's why I want you to tail him."

"Got it. I hope you're right though. What if he can't find his brother?"

Dick sighed, the thought not a pleasant one.

"Trust me. Jay will find him. It's a question now of how much longer until he does."


	9. Chapter 9

The minutes blended into hours.

The hunger in him grew by the hour; he couldn't hear his stomach complaining anymore. That had stopped a day ago. At least he thought it was a day ago. Time seemed irrelevant here.

Soon, he stopped talking to Matt because his voice wouldn't work. It was as if his empty tummy had told the rest of him to stop working. All he felt like was lying either on the floor or on his bed. He tried scrambling up to his perch, but his arms shook badly and caused him to fall on his back. After three tries he decided to forget his favorite place and be content to stay grounded.

_I'm not giving up!_ he thought fiercely _I am Flamebird 5 and I will __not__ give in to fear! I'll escape, or Dad will find me!_

Those words seemed hollow a few hours later, when nothing seemed to have changed. He was hungry and weak and a little scared. Scared that his father would never find him. Scared that he would die here. Scared that...that he would both die and not be found.

_Daddy...I'm scared._ he sniffed, hugging himself. _I wanna come home._

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"It's been two days. He really is improving isn't he?" Randall said smugly, noting the boy would not even acknowledge the McGinnis brat, instead choosing to curl up on the bed and cry himself to sleep.

"This is going even smoother than I hoped. Perhaps the next phase shall be enough to break him."

"I hope so too." Brent said, licking his lips, "I can't wait to have my toy back."

"I may move that phase down, depending on his progress. After all, since he is too weak to fight back, what is the point of insulting him until he flies into a rage? However...flying into a rage is crucial for your next session with him, so perhaps we can combine the two."

"Whatever. As long as I get to play I don't care about the rest of it."

Randall smiled

"Good. Prepair to start then, Brent. He will be yours in a day."


	10. Chapter 10

"Terry..."

"Honestly Nightwing, you should be out here, oh crap..."

"What?" came the suddenly very awake growl.

"He's...he's on a building close to the old rundown juvie hall. He's sleeping. Hard."

"There's nothing more we can do tonight. Poor kid's exhausted." The vigilante sighed, knowing he was going to get it from his son when Jay figured out that he'd been tailed.

Batman nodded, scooping up the limp boy in kevlar and started to walk to the edge of the roof.

"NO!" He grunted as the twip planted a sock to hius jaw, then uppercutted him "No! I'm close! REAL close! I can _feel _it! Don't take me away!"

"Put him down."

As soon as Terry put the red-haired wonder on the roof, the little vigilante passed out again.

"Astounding. Kid searches alone for one night, with us the next day, then continues the search on his own again...collapses, and only wakes up if you try to remove him from the area." Batman noted with suprize.

"I wonder what he's dreaming about?" Dick mused. "Whatever it is, he seems to be thrashing around a lot. His vitals are going nuts"

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"Hey Grayson. Yeah I'm talking to you. Open your eyes sleepy head."

Jay opened his eyes, to come mask to mask with his namesake.

"Uncle Jason?"

The deceased Boy Wonder looked fondly at the boy before snickering. "Yeah it's me. So I take it you are either suicidal or your bro is in trouble. You go any longer without sleep and your Dad will scrape you off the roof with a spoon."

"You know something don't you?" the youth's voice was a snarl "About Jimmy...you watch us right? You know where he is right?!"

Jason smirked and shook his head "I watch _you._ That being said, no I don't know where Jimmy is, but I can tell you that he isn't doing too hot."

"I can't sleep then! Uncle Jason, he's close. I can feel it. Jimmy is reaching out to me through our bond thing...but I can't reach him! But I know he's close..."

The second Robin brandished his crowbar, but didn't hit the child with it. Dick could take a good beating, but his twerps...no he wouldn't bean them. Especially this one. Leaning down, Jason hissed in his 'nephew's ear, his crowbar glowing as he fed some adrenalin to the small vigilante, and restoked his fighting, stubborn spirit.

"Then what are you waiting for, Bluejay? Get up. Get up and find him. When you get your brother back, you can sleep. Not before! Get up! GET UP!"

_GET UP!_

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Bluejay shot up, new fire in his eyes as he shot out from Batman's crouched frame, headed towards a building on the far right of the old Juvie Center. Batman followed closely and suddenly his eyes turned into slits.

"Nightwing, get your ass over here now."

Dick was instantly alert, getting his line ready for takeoff.

"What's up?"

"Kid's circling the old Center. I think he's got something."

Dick's heart flared _The old Center?_ His fear gauge went up into the red, and he growled at his partner as he shot a line the furthest it would go, then took off with added speed.

"McGinnis, you keep him outside. Got it? I do _not _ want him entering any of the buildings. Not until I get there! Do you understand?!"

"Roger that Nightwing. He seems uninterested in going inside at the moment. Right now he is just hopping from building to building, circling the perimeter. He's done it twice already."

"He's scouting."

"Scouting?"

"He and Jimmy often did that to locate each other telepathically. You should have seen them this one time, we went to the park and Jimmy went to the bathroom. Jay came back from playing on the swings and found his brother gone. So he ran around the premesis looking for him. He ran the park three times before locating exactly where Jimmy was, including the stall he was inside. Jimmy told me later that he had gotten somehow locked in, and had spun around until his brother found him."

Nightwing smiled at the next memory "The next time I saw Scouting, we were at the Manor. You and Bruce were busy downstairs, so me and the twips hung out until you were done. Jay of course wanted to explore the giant house, and Jimmy wanted to lay on the couch. So off Jay went. Do you know how confusing the old place is at night? During the day it's a maze. At night not even Bruce goes wandering without a map. Anyway, Jay got lost. Jimmy suddenly sat bolt upright and began pacing the room. He paced and he paced, then he began circling the room and the hallway. He then bolted straight down the hall to the last possible door of the hallway, turned around, and went straight for the clock. He paced in front of it for a while, then entered the Cave. Jay had discovered one of Bruce's secret entrances in that back room, and had been scouting the Batcave (going around the perimeter) until Jimmy found him."

"Wack."

"No. Twin logic. Anyway, if Jay is scouting, then Jimmy has to be inside the Center somewhere. If he's scouting, that also means he is going to move in soon."

"You want to-"

A hand touched his shoulder, and Nightwing grinned feraly at him.

"I'm already here. Now McGinnis, we watch, and see what my little Wing can dig up."


	11. Chapter 11

Randall watched puzzled as the child began to weakly walk around the room in a wide and purposeful circle, as if he were in some kind of trance. His body should have been too weak to support his weight, yet there he was, walking around and around his small prison.

"What are you doing, Gypsy spawn? Some type of trickery technique?" She wondered aloud.

She then sneered and turned to Brent "I don't like defiance. We start phase six right now. Playtime, Brent. Crush his spirit."

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Around and around he went. He had to keep sending the signal. Jay was out there looking for him. He had to send the signal just like he did many times before. Jay would find him. Jay would take him from this aweful place!

He was suddenly thrown into the wall.

"Playtime begins again dreg! You are MINE!"

_Go away! I'm busy!_ He wanted to shout, but his mouth still wasn't working. Instead he weakly punched the attacker in the face, then continued to walk, continued to signal.

"So you still have some fight left in you. That will change," The older boy grabbed him and twisted his arm, then beat him savagely with his fists. "You are nothing but Gypsy trash! Your Daddy can't even come to find you. Why would he want to anyway?" He threw the boy facedown onto the ground then kneed him into the wall hard, until blood squirted out of his mouth.

Unable to fight back due to his body being too stuck and heavy to move offensively, Jimmy pushed him weakly and tried to continue his circle. The bully was not about to relent so easily, and slammed the boy in the ribs with his metal bar, cracking two and sending the boy flying backfirst into the bars that made up the door.

_This is it._ Jimmy cried _I can't move anymore. I can't signal. No one is coming for me._ He began to cry hard as his body was beaten and tossed around by Brent, the older boy spouting insults and laughing insanely as metal met bone.

_I am gonna die here...alone..._

He waited for the final blow to come. He waited...he waited...

There was a thud, and suddenly there were no more blows.

"What the...You dreg!"

Blue, Black, white...he struggled to make his tired, heavy eyes focus. A familiar roar was heard, then he got a glimpse again of the figure who was at the moment beating the crap out of Brent.

Blue, Black, White...

The wing of a bird emblazoned in white on a blue background...

His crushed spirit began putting itself back together as he realized with joy that his scouting had reached its target.

_Jay!_

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Randall snarled and screeched at her helper

"What the hell is going on?! What and who is that despicable child in a hooligan outfit!? Brent! Answer me! Answer me right now!"

Suddenly all her computers went blank as a wingding sliced through their cords.

"He won't be able to answer you, witch." A voice sneered, as the vigilante known as Nightwing stepped into the light, snarling ferally. "In fact when Bluejay is done with him, I doubt he'll be able to _walk_ much less talk to anyone for a long, long time."


	12. Chapter 12

"Nightwing. I didn't think you would show up. Not here in Gotham anyway."

Randall's tone was disturbingly calm, a fact that annoyed the vigilante to no end. _You're smug. Too smug. I don't like it._

"Yet you don't seem surprised to see me." Came the growl.

"Oh I'm not shocked by your presence here at all, vigilante. After all, I kidnapped more children in Bludhaven than I intended at first. Parents who don't pay attention tend to feel guilty when their young disappear. I am guessing you were hired by one or two to find who was responsible."

She suddenly laughed scornfully, folding her arms. "Oh that's riiiiiiiight. The entire city _hates_ you. Must be hard leading such a thankless existence. I bet you started out as a real piece of work. Daddy issues perhaps?"

He snorted _If you only knew..._

She snickered as she pinned his reaction. "Big Daddy issues it seems. Juvie?"

He chewed his lip _You would like to know wouldn't you? You know what? Screw it! You kidnapped my kid you witch!_

"You would know wouldn't you, Randall." He growled

She laughed "Oh so you were one of mine! Wich one?"

He growled even lower, his teeth showing as he gripped his escrima, "Take a guess before I hogtie you upside down to the ceiling for what you've done."

His radio crackled "Careful Nightwing..."

"Keep an eye on Bluejay and find McGinnis." He hissed dismissively "I know what I'm doing!"

Randall was genuinely curious now, but wondered what exactly this juvie dropout was playing at. Capes usually guarded their secret identities with iron bars, content to break their feeble minds on the fact that the information would be used against them if they revealed too much.

_Yet you would willingly tell me yours, vigilante..._

"I can't place you, handsome. Can I have a hint? Better yet, could we skip this, I have a boy to break into a respectable citizen. That is, unless your junior hero beat him to death."

She suddenly found herself pinned to the wall by his forearm, face to mask with the furious hero.

"You haven't changed one bit. You are still slime, witch." His voice was a snarl, and he flipped the lenses up on his mask, revealing his raging, sparkling blue eyes...

Randall all of a sudden feared for her life. She knew those eyes. Last time she had seen them this close they had been filled with terror. Now they were filled with a passionate anger.

"Richard?!"

He grinned ferally

"You crossed the line and involved my Family. Oh I suppose you can expose me, but who would believe you? I'm allegedly an old fart now, not capable of doing the things Nightwing does. My wife is a former Titan. No one would mess with her."

She saw an opertunity and took it "Your boys were easy enough."

"Only in their sleep. As you can see..." he flipped on a monitor that didn't get destroyed, revealing Bluejay comforting his sobbing brother, with Brent unconscious on the floor behind them. "When they are awake it's a whole different ballgame."

She found herself in the air, suspended with rope stronger than steel, Nightwing hanging upside down as if the position was natural. _Gypsy brat, it probably IS!_

"Now, had you been younger, I would have knocked you for a big loop around the room. I hate you. I will always despise you. Not only for what you've done to my boy, not only for what you did to me, but what you've done to the ones who never survived. I loath you. There is no denying that. But there's something you should know. Something you never could understand."

He flipped down and held her chin

"I'm not the bad guy. As such, no matter how much I want to...I'm not going to kill you."

He left her there, upside down and stewing in her failure, but before he left, he turned and spat

"You touch anyone ever again, Randall, and I will seriously reconsider my descision. You nearly broke me. I will die before I let you do that to anyone ever again. Also...for your sake, you better hope that Jimmy is stable. Because if he isn't...I will find you."

He left then, touching gauntlets with another shadowy figure who entered the room and grabbed the woman by the throat, the Batglare in full glory.

"Let's talk."

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Jay clutched his brother, refusing to let go until a soft hand landed on his shoulder. He relinquished his hold, but Jimmy didn't move. He didn't reach for his father, who was aching to hold him close and comfort him. He clung desperately to his twin, his blue eyes still streaming with tears. Nightwing silently cursed his restraint he had used on Randall as he looked deeper and saw that his son was beyond scared. Beyond terrified even.

_Another day here...and his spark would have vanished altogether._ Dick realized with renewed fury.

"Hey kiddo." He said softly, not reaching out to his son for fear that Jimmy would retreat into himself further, "You ready to blow this joint and go home?"

The boy sniffed and nodded. Nightwing smiled, turning to Jason

"Come on then. Let him ride on you. Take it slow, he's weak and probably scared that you'll leave him again, so be careful."

His older son nodded and let his brother up on his back. He turned to the still unconscious Brent and silently promised to visit him again to continue his punishment. Nightwing smirked at the venomous look Jason threw to his brother's tormentor, then readied his line.

"Come on little wings, let's fly!"


	13. Chapter 13

Ace the bathound barked happily as Dick, carrying Jimmy, and Starfire, carrying Jay walked into the Manor.

"Hey pup, where's Bruce? He still downstairs helping out Terry?"

"No. I'm over here, eating soup."

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" Jay said excitedly, running to the old man's side the instant his mother put him down. Jimmy let out a shriek and Dick was forced to move closer to his oldest. "Hey, Jimmy...calm down. Jay is right here. He hasn't left you."

Bruce smiled a bit at Jay, ruffling his grandson's hair, while turning to his son, concern lacing his tone.

"The effects still linger." It was not a question.

Dick hung his head "Yes. I'm afraid what that witch did to him will stick for a lot longer than I would have liked. He won't even eat if Jay is not right next to him."

"She did to him what she almost did to you.." Again, not a question "Set him down."

Dick did as he was told. Jimmy ran to his brother's side and refused to leave. Bruce looked him in his frightened, clouded blue orbs and said roughly "Jimmy."

The child yelped and hid behind his brother, who glared up at his Grandpa in silent warning, then snarled "Grandpa Bruce! Don't BATGROWL at him!"

Dick stifled a chuckle at that, and watched Bruce carefully. He knew exactly what the man was doing, and though it wasn't pleasant, it was necessary. After about seven minutes of testing the boy's reactions, the elder man shook his head.

"I'm sorry Dick, this wound is deep. It will take more than a day to get him on his feet again. He's been...broken."

"I noticed." The growl was almost feral, his fists clenched so tightly his nails left marks in his palms. He relaxed though, at the mention of time his mentor had eluded to.

"You can fix him." Now it was _his_ turn to state instead of question.

Bruce allowed himself to smile at his grandchildren "Yes. I can but it will take time."

Starfire smiled in relief "Oh, we do not mind time, Bruce! We will stay until Jimmy is fixed. Please...bring my son back to me."

"I second that." Dick said. "Do what needs to be done. I'll do anything to help, even monitor Terry if you need the assist."

The man looked into his son's face, searching for something he knew was still there.

"I may have to be hard on him Dick."

"I don't care. Do what you have to do. Just get him back, Bruce."

He smiled then, a sneaky yet knowing grin. His son still had the grit in him, even after nearly losing himself to rage.

"Good. Then let's get started."

**Well that's it for this one. Don't worry though, the sequel is on the way! Reviews are encouraged!  
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